Blind In Shadows
by Beth Kimball
Summary: Bella Cullen falls unconsicous and awakens in the real world, where she finds herself helpless and blind and a dark fate waiting for her. She no longer knows who to trust or where to turn, a shadowy man is in pursuit, controlling her destiny.
1. Awakening

"Bella, my sweet, it is almost time to wake up."

The brown haired woman moaned in a troubled sleep, her face sunken, her body thin and fragile. Under the glass lid, her skin was yellowed and her cheeks were gaunt and sunken. The feeding tubes carried a pale liquid into her wrists every few moments and a bag between her legs carried away the waste.

"Have a nice night, Bella. Sweet dreams," he said with a laugh.

_"Renesmee Cullen, will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"_

_From the pews, Bella looked on, a smile forced upon her face. Her hand on her forehead._

_"Bella, are you okay? Is it the headaches?" Edward whispered, leaning close to his wife, clutching her hand._

_"Yeah, but I'll be fine."_

_From the altar, Renesmee took a quick glance to her mother, beaming with pure joy. Then to Jacob, she gazed into his eyes, taking his hand in hers. "I do."_

_"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,"_

_Renesemee and Jacob came together and their family and friends rose. Applause broke out among the isles._

_A tear rolled down Bella's face._

_Edward clutched Bella's hand tightly and then it happened._

_All at once, her eyes fluttered, her knees buckled, and her head throbbed, worse than it ever had in the past two years. She fell forward, her hand slipping out of Edward's and she landed on the cold hard marble with a thud. The tile cracked under her hand, the other cradled her head. She cried out as the pain waved in and out, as her vision wavered between a blur and total darkness._

_"Mom!"_

_"Bella!"_

_Bella reached for Edward, her hand faltering. "Edward! Ed...war-"_

_Her body lay on the floor of the church, curled into a fetal position._

"Bella...Bella...wake up...Bella..."

Voices came to her in the darkness, echoing, distant. She could not see anything but the darkness and she felt nothing. The headache was gone.

"Edward?" Her own voice she could not recognize, it was weak and cracked. She had to force the words out of her throat.

The sound of a monitor beeping came to her from the dark. A slow, dull beeping, it was almost soothing. The sickly sweet smell of medical alcohol and various drugs filtered into her nose.

Her body felt dull and weak. What she thought was her arm she could barely lift. She felt so...human. No, not even that. She felt below human. As she tried to move her limbs in this dark, cold world, she felt a new kind of pain. A dulling, aching pain, a pain that tired and beat her.

The back of her lead hand hit a smooth, hard surface.

"Good morning, Bella." The voice was familiar, a soft soothing male voice that gave her comfort to hear.

"Car...lise? Edward, where is...? The wedding...Renesemee..."

"Oh, your daughter and husband will return soon. Relax, Bella, you've been through a long operation, you'll need the rest."

"I...missed the wedding...my daughter..."

She heard footsteps scrapping against the ground, the sound growing as Carlise seemed to walk to her. "Oh don't worry, everyone's fine. How are you feeling? Your eye sight, your strength, how are you?"

"My eyes...I can't..." She was aware of blinking but no sight came to her.

"Bella, it was an unfortunate side effect of your condition. I'm sorry, you will not be able to see for quite some time."

"Blind?" A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm...blind?"

"Now, not for long. I can fix your eye sight but it will take time. I can't attempt the surgery until you recover."

"So I will see again?"

"Someday. But now you must rest."

"When...will I see...Renes...me?"

"She is fine. Just rest, Bella. I will move you to a more comfortable place and then you can talk to Nessie sometime later."

Bella relaxed her aching body against the hard plastic of her coffin. Oddly, she felt a foreign feeling she had not felt since she was human, sleepiness.

Bella lay on the hospital bed, finally asleep, her body sprawled out like a starfish. She was snoring with some difficulty but otherwise her sleep was peaceful.

"Sleep now Bella, your dreams are waiting for you," Carlise smiled, flashing white teeth. He lay his hand against her forehead and closed his own eyes.

She stirred for moment, then relaxed, smiling in her sleep.

Carlise removed his hand and opened his eyes, watching as Bella fell into her dreaming.

"Sleep tight, love, and don't let the bed bugs bite."


	2. Illusions

_"Dad, she's waking up!"_

_"Bella?"_

_Bella blinked open her eyes and light swarmed in. Blurry images surrounded her, familiar voices wavered in and out of her ears. As she came to, she found herself lying on her bed, a damp rag laid across her forehead. She sat up, with a strength that surprised her._

_"Mom, hey, are you okay?"_

_Bella pressed the rag deeply onto her skin. She had a headache, a throbbing one but not as bad as the one she had at the wedding. "Renesemee? Edward?"_

_"Oh, you're okay! Thank god!" Rensemee clapped her hands together briefly, eyes shining. "I was so worried about you!"_

_"I can...see..." Bella glanced around the room, at her daughter, and finally her eyes settled on her husband. "Where's Carlise? He said I'd be blind for a few days before surgery. And it was weird, I was _sleeping. _Has Carlise said anything?"_

_Edward shook his head, "He has said nothing, love. But calm down, you've had a rough day. Carlise will be coming over soon to have a look at you."_

_For a moment Bella said nothing, she sat in silence with a hand on her aching head. _

_"Mom?"_

_"I'm sorry I missed everything at the wedding, dear. I don't even know what happened back there."_

_Renesemee took her mother's hand, she was still in her wedding dress and still unearthly beautiful. "Mom, it's okay. Your health, I understand."_

_"I wish I could have been there at the reception. Honey, today's the most important day of your-"_

_The door flew open and there was a man standing in the middle of the doorway, with medicines and tools under his arms. Carlise._

_"Bella, are you feeling alright, I hear you were unconcious for a while?"_

_"Carlise, you were there weren't you? When I was blind? You moved me here, right?"_

_Carlise's face was blank, eyes were souless. "As far as I know, Edward took you back home when it happened."_

_"But-"_

_"Shh, relax. You feel unconcious and far as I know this is not usual for our kind. I want you to rest and I will figure out what is going on."_

_"Earlier, I remember I woke up and you were there, and you said I would be blind for a while. And I remember I was tired and ill…"_

_Edward and Carlise looked to each other and Carlise swallowed hard. _

_"It may have been a dream, dear, you are a vampire so somehow it may have felt quite vivid to you…"_

_"But it just felt so real. Well, I'm sorry for worrying anyone."_

_Edward ran his hand through Bella's hair. "I just hope you will feel better soon my dear. Do you need anything?"_

_"No, I think I'll be fine for now."_

Carlise left the basement, locking the door behind him with not another glance back.

Soft piano music drifted through the air, an endlessly repeating section of "Fur Elise".

"God damned Eddy."

The pixie haired woman was sitting on the couch, threading a sewing needle through a silk dress. She glanced up as Carlise walked by, her eyes quickly returned to her work. "So, Carlise, the human is still alive?"

"Yes, and thankfully I managed to save her. How is the family?"

"They are doing fine, father. But..._she_ requests to see you. In her room."

"Ah, yes, she was expecting me. I will pay her a visit. You, make sure Eddy doesn't try to escape again."

"Yes, father." Alice flipped the fabric over to the other side, poking the needle through.

"Good girl."

_Bella drained the remainders of the blood out of the bear's body. She swallowed hard and shoved the beast's body aside, rising from the forest floor. She wiped the bits of fur and dirt off of her clothes and wrapped her jacket around her chest and the single droplet of blood left behind. _

_The autum wind kicked up by her ankles, carrying the scent of apples and trees with it. Red apples hung bloated from the overhanging branches. On the ground, fat worm bitted fruits lay. If she was human, this fruity scent would have been appealing. Now, it was just another scent in her environment. _

_The house was only a few miles ahead, running distance. She crouched into position and sprang forward, her ivory legs powering her forward. _

_At this moment, she was sure there could be nothing better in life. Nothing at all. _

_And then at that moment, Bella Swan fell to the ground, her body crunching against the dead leaves._


	3. Eddie

_Eddie likes the music._

_His piano is his favorite; he likes how it sounds when he presses on one of the keys. It sounds pretty, he thinks. He likes the black keys the best. If he presses the keys right, it makes a song. He likes the Fur Elise one the best._

_He mostly plays on the piano most of the day, especially Fur Elise. He thinks that was Vincent's favorite, or maybe a jazz tune. All he remembers of the man called Vincent is playing this piano; he can't remember much else, Father made sure of that._

_Blood is brought to him by one of the Sisters and he drinks while they watch. They always give him dirty looks and talk about him, thinking he can't hear them. "What an idiot," and "Look at him, he makes such a mess when drinking," they always say. When they leave, he returns to his piano and he presses on the keys again. He feels good when he plays it, he can forget about the Sisters and Mother and Father and the Strange One. It's just him and the music, Fur Elise playing endlessly through the night and day._

_Eddie likes the music._

She once had her own name, she remembered. She remembered how her mother used to tell her it was a strong name, a beautiful name. A name that recalled the flight of eagles in the dawn, the panther hunting in the shadows. She remembered how it sounded in her own ears, how people would praise her for her exotic beauty but mostly her name. It was a beautiful name.

She still kept this name after the cold man came and turned her into a vampire like himself. She remembered how they would run in open meadows, their skin sparkling, him calling her name. She remembered long nights spent with him, as she would make pleasant illusions within his mind and how he would hold her close, smiling. And after he left her for a pale woman, she kept her head up and did not let her tears betray her. She left her home and began to travel up north, curious about the country above.

And then when she came across the dark man and the lady in the northern country, she still kept that name. Even as they invited her into their home, their voices soft and their manners graceful, she remembered who she was even as they tempted her with gifts and slithery kindness. Even as they captured her and locked her deep within their home, forcing her to make her illusions for their prey or enemies to force them inside their own head, their grubby, sleeping faces holding a smile as their dreams came true and as their imagination took them away. As they were distracted while the dark man decided what to do with them.

It was when she refused this life when they took her name away from her. When they entered her own mind and made her obedient. They let her keep most of her memories, except her name and some of the most haunting memories deep within. She became a slave under a new name, Zafrina.

Deep within the basement, she sat, her ankles and wrists chained to the wall. Her head shaved, her eyes closed. Her concentration was breaking from the illusion she is creating. She rubs her forehead, a head ache is spreading.

Finally she opened her eyes, the tears fell to her feet. It is futile, it is all futile. They will beat her and she knows it, she broke the illusion again. The woman on the hospital bed would be waking up soon and the dark man would punish her again.

It is futile to hide and she knows it. Once they punished her, they would force her to create illusions again, perhaps for eternity.

Her hands close around her neck, pressing down, squeezing harder. She wraps her chains around, and closes her eyes.

Her name had been a very beautiful name. She wonders if she will remember it in the afterlife.


	4. The Real World

Bella awoke, her strength gone, her body crumpled in the middle of what felt like a hospital bed. A hand to her sightless eyes, facing her wrist away from her as she became aware of something rubber jutting out of her wrist.

"Carlise? Edward? Anyone?"

She must have taken a hard fall, she decides. Maybe somehow, despite her vampirism, she became ill, and she was dreaming right now. Perhaps vampires really did have vivid dreams, when they did dream after all. If from what she knew of Zafrina's visions, perhaps dreams were like her illusions.

She sat up and then a horrible empty feeling hit her, a liquid churning in her throat.

"Oh go-" Before she could finish, the vomit came rushing out of her throat, splattering onto the floor.

She lay on the bed, wiping the ferment liquid off of her lips. She moaned, rocking herself slightly. If she was delirious, or telling the truth, she would have admitted how real this felt, feeling somehow more true than real life.

Footsteps pattered across the floor, a door slammed shut.

"You...you're awake again...This can't...that means..." Carlise, his voice frayed and weak.

"What? What does it mean?" She clamped a hand over her mouth, a sick feeling returned in her throat.

The stench of vomit was stronger now, especially as her stomach released its contents yet again.

"Holy..." The sound of Carlise's footsteps grew stronger now.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"Oh, don't worry Bella. Just _rest_ for a while." His freezing hand rested on her forehead. "You have a fever it seems. I will take care of you, I just have some other business to take care of."

"A fever? Carlise, I'm not supposed to have a fever..."

"You woke up."

Bella sat up, mouth wide open. "I did...But what do you mean? I'm not supposed to sleep either and I did. Carlise, what is happening to me?"

"You woke up."

"You said that already. Carlise, something's seriously wrong, you have to tell me."

He cleared his throat. "I told you. You are awake now. I'll be back later."

His footsteps grew distant. The door opened and his voice returned. "Rose, clean that up."

"As you wish, master." Rosalie's voice is cold, and distant.

The door closed with a creak.

More footsteps, lighter footsteps. Wheels rolled across the ground.

"Rosalie?"

No answer. The footsteps stopped right by the bed and then Bella heard the sloshing of water. Something wet and soft glided across the floor, a mop.

"Rosalie, hi."

"Don't talk to me, human."

"Human? Very funny, Rosalie."

The vampire's response was humorless, "Cracked up like the rest of them."

"Rosalie, what are you even talking about?"

"I _said _don't talk to me, human."

Bella sat with her arms wrapped around herself. "Rosalie, please, what is going on?"

Rosalie hissed like a viper. Her arms lurched out, grabbing Bella at the wrists, yanking her forward like a rag doll. "_Do not speak to me, do you understand you hideous beast?"_ Her voice was a harsh whisper. She released Bella, Bella flopped onto the bed, clutching aching wrists.

"What are you doing, Rosalie?" Rapid footsteps ran towards the bed. Two bodies fell to the floor with a thud. One seemed to rise, footsteps walking towards Bella. "I am terribly sorry, sometimes Rose is bad tempered." Carlise patted Bella's head. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'll be okay." Bella let herself relax into the bed.

"Rosalie, leave. You shall be dealt with..._later_." Bella did not like the sickening, dark pleasure in Carlise's voice.

A sharp gasp came from Rosalie.

"Leave. Now."

Small footsteps ran out of the room, the door slamming behind Rosalie.

"I don't understand, it was like she didn't even know me..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, Bella, you've had a hard day. Why don't you rest..."

"Carlise, I'm not tired. I want to know what's going on."

His strong hands gripped her right hand. "You awoke, Bella."

She bits her lip. _No, it couldn't be, not what he's trying to say. _"Carlise...I don't think I understand."

"You're in the real world now. Your dream is over."


	5. The Lady in the Shadows

_Esme reclined on the bed, a wine glass in her soft, ivory hands. She sloshed the red liquid around in her glass and held it up to her lips, sipping the blood and savoring._

_The door creaked open, bringing a crack of electric light into the room. Carlisle, her mate, her husband, walked into the room and she could see his face was strained, exasperated._

_"Oh darling, what is the matter? You look stressed." She turned herself slightly, holding her ankles in the air. _

_Carlisle sat on the bed, massaging knuckles into his forehead. "It's Zafrina...She's dead."_

_"_What_?" growled Esme, blood dripping from her glass onto the silk sheets. "How?"_

_"I have no idea. Somehow...someway, I have no idea...she...beheaded herself."_

_"And the human?"_

_"She woke up. And now I cannot return her to her dreams. She's barely alive anyway..."_

_In Esme's delicate hand, the wine glass shattered. Blood and glass fell to the dark floor. Her hand was stained with red. She licked the blood off her skin, her eyes flint and hard._

_"Oh, love, don't be upset." Carlisle cupped her face in his hands, pulling her close to him._

_Esme pushed him away from her. "I want to see her. Clean her up. I want to meet her."_

_"That will be done, my dear lady." He kissed her upon the lips and this time Esme let him._

Bella was hungry and the feeling gnawed at her insides. Her empty stomach was growling, rumbling in complaint. It was such different from what she was used to, a burning thirst.

Reneseme...The name felt distant now, like a dream. If she was to believe Carlisle and that cruel thought in her mind, then Renesme had never existed. Her daughter, her beautiful smiling daughter. Bella's eyes were moist, a sob rose from her throat. Edward, perhaps he had just been a dream too. Or worse, cruel like this new Rosalie.

She was crying now, her sobs rattling her body.

"It's real...it has to be..." Her voice was small, weak. "It has to be real...it couldn't just be a dream..."

The door creaked open. Bella sat up, wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Bella, come, let's get you cleaned up." Carlisle's footsteps scuffed on the floor, followed by a pair of dainty footsteps. Something was being dragged behind them and water was splashing.

Bella sniffled, swallowing a sob.

"I know, it has been a long, hard day and you still need to accept the news. Bella, my sweet, I'm going to take you to see- Ah, poor choice of words, I'm sorry. I will take you to _visit_ Esme. Won't that be fun?"

"Edward...is Edward here?"

"Alice, why don't you help Bella get dressed?"

"Yes, father." Alice's shrill; bell voice was monotone, dry. A chill traveled up Bella's spine.

"Bella, why don't we wait before seeing Edward? He's...resting right now." His voice was soft, like he was talking to a child.

Bella did not protest. She let Alice removed the hospital gown and as Alice pushed her into a bathtub. Even as Carlisle removed the tube from her wrist, she did not protest despite the pain. As Alice's soft hands roughly pushed her around, she heard a throaty chuckle from Carlisle.

Alice yanked her out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her body. And as Bella ran the towel over herself, attempting to cover herself as much as possible to protect her modesty, she could feel ribs, thin branch like arms, and her face felt skeletal and gaunt.

Someone handed Bella something silky and light, and as Bella felt it over she discovered it was underwear. Blushing, she slipped it on, holding the towel best she could.

A satin dress was slipped over her head and Alice walked behind her, tying it around her miniscule waist. Shoes were slid onto her feet.

"You look...beautiful, Bella." She did not like the sick tone in Carlisle's voice.

Bella took a step forward and as her weight came onto her legs, she stumbled, lurching forward. And as she fell, strong hands caught her and brought her to her feet. She was pushed back and she found herself sitting in a wheelchair.

"I seem to have forgotten. You're not strong enough to stand on your own yet. You can ride in this and then I will move you onto crutches when I feel you're ready." Carlisle's voice had an odd humor in it. "Now, now, don't cry, Bella."

A choked sob rose from her throat.

"We're going to give Esme a visit and we're going to be happy about it! Smile, Bella."

Bella forced a smile onto her face and her lips strained against the effort.

"See that looks a look better, doesn't it?" Carlisle patted her shoulder. "Come, Alice, let's go."

He wheeled her to the door and for the first time in years, Isabella Swan felt a real rush of air around her ankles.


End file.
